King Wolf
by LadyKitsuneHavoc
Summary: Kiba has been reborn into this world. But his memories are sealed and he now believes every word of his "Father". Cheza and his friends call out to him and he realizes just how wrong those words are. Now Kiba must escape from Darcia and search again for Paradise as history is doomed to repeat itself because of the corruption of Paradise. But as pasts collide, is anything sacred?
1. Fate's Cruel Game

**Thanks for reading this story!**

I started a Wolf's Rain Fan Fiction, thanks to **Alatum Laminis**, who unintentionally inspired this story. So thanks! It won't be that similar to his story _Culpa Bestiae_, but it was nonetheless inspired by it. So I'll write this story. I hope you enjoy! I own nothing in Wolf's Rain, except this storyline and any OC characters in this story. Thanks!

**Anyway, time to read the story!**

Chapter One: Fate's Cruel Game

* * *

_Kiba's mind was free, even if his body was not. He couldn't remember why, but he couldn't move. But not in his dream. Here he was running. The world was turning to ice before his eyes. Eons passed, with the world falling apart and beginning again once the ice thawed. He saw faces that he knew, passing before his eyes. And he knew that there would be a lot of sadness within them. There was little he could do though. He couldn't remember them. They haunted his dreams, which this no doubt was one of. _

_As he ran, the world passed him by. The wind howled mournful words into his ears, spoken by no one and yet spoken by everyone._

"_I tell you now the words of the red moon."_

"_Then the beast shall appear."_

_Things such as that were hurled at him. He knew the world was close to ending again. It was always close to ending. That was the lives he had held._

_Wait...lives? Yes lives. He had been reborn countless times, chosen by the flower maiden over and over again to quest for paradise. But he and his pack had always failed. Now she was calling to him again. Always, it began with this dream. She was calling him to find her, to seek her out. And only that could give him any purpose. He was tired of seeing his friends die one by one._

"_Come and find this one Kiba." She whispered to him. _

_So he ran. He was searching for her. Little else mattered. He could only run. She heard her begin to sing, drawing him closer to her. It was her Lullaby. She sang it to him to cause him to rest with a dreamless and easy sleep. She sang it to him when he was in pain. She sometimes had sung it to him before as he had died. _

_Shailoh Shailoh, Yatreet ka..._

_Shailo shna... Otrit ka..._

_hahla hahla... ahlah hah..._

_Shailoh washnee_

_fortee ney..._

_Shailoh shailoh, yartreet ka..._

_omen nio hah..._

_shailoh shailoh, yatreet ka..._

_omen nio hah..._

_shiloh shiloh, yatreet ka..._

_shiloh shna... otrit ka..._

_hahla hahla... ahlah hah..._

_shailoh washnee_

_fortee neh..._

_He ran faster. The words were calling to him. They urged him to come. He didn't know where she would lead him, but he knew that he must follow. There was no doubt about it. He had always followed her. There was no where else that he could run._

_And yet as he ran he saw again their faces...the gray wolf, the black wolf dog, the small brown wolf with the bracelets, and the brown wolf that once wore a collar. Then he remembered the humans. The old man with the gun, the man who was a detective, and the woman who was a scientist. They smiled at him. But why would they smile? It was his fault that they had died. His mission had failed and like so many others he had lead them to their doom. He couldn't remember their names. That was sad to him. Why could he not remember? Why could he not remember anything?_

_The names of his packs, the names of his enemies, the names of the people he had met. He knew that this was wrong. Before, he had always remembered everything. But there was nothing now. He couldn't even remember the name of the one who was calling to him. He could only remember his own name. And yet still that voice called to him. So he ran._

_He reached the place. There he saw her. At the frozen stream, with her feet sticking into the water, the only water that was around here, that which wasn't frozen. He stepped forward at last, glad to meet her. But he didn't cry out to her. He couldn't remember her name. She paused, turning her head this way and that. He found that he couldn't see her clearly. She was blurry, as if he were seeing a mirage. He couldn't even make out the color of her hair. _

"_Kiba?" She asked. "Where are you Kiba? This one can't feel you."_

"_I'm here." he responded. She looked around again. _

"_Where? What's going on?" she looked at him. "Kiba..."_

"_I've missed you." Kiba replied, not meaning to ignore her distress. "Your death caused the world to be reborn."_

"_Yes..." she said. "Along with..." she said seven names. That was strange. Why couldn't he hear them? It was like his mind had fogged over when she said them. It hurt his head to think about. "Isn't that great Kiba? Our pack can be reformed, and we can look for Paradise again. But..." another name. He paused, cocking his head. He couldn't hear this one either, though it made his hair stand on end. "...he changed Paradise. He corrupted it. The only way to stop it would be to bring humans into Paradise, humans that the wolves can trust. This one thinks..." three of the original seven names were mentioned. Kiba shook his head. "...can be the ones. They'll do just fine. Now perhaps we can make it all the way. Something's different this time."_

"_You're right." Kiba could only respond, shaking his head in annoyance._

"_Kiba what's wrong with you?" she cried. "Don't you want to see your friends again? You don't even sound like you recognize the names!"_

"_I can't hear them." Kiba replied. "I can't remember them. It's strange. I can't remember anything."_

"_Kiba..." she said. There was true fear in her voice now. He was sure he'd never heard it before. Not from her. "This one's name...say this one's name..."_

"_I can't." Kiba replied. _

"_It's ….." she said. He couldn't hear it. She repeated it. "...! So say it. Please say it!"_

"_I can't. I can't hear it." Kiba replied, growing a little nervous now. _

"_What do you mean?" she cried. _

"_Didn't you hear him Flower Maiden?" a cruel and mocking voice asked. "He said he can't hear you. The names have no importance to him now."_

_She turned and gasped, trembling in fear. He turned to look as well, and found himself face to face with a wolf. He was huge, and a savage brute. Kiba could tell that even from here. It made him bristle in anger. He was a dark wolf, black, but tinted purple. His eyes were two different colors. One was blue, and it was dull. The other was like a wolf's, black with a golden iris. Kiba snarled at him and prepared to pounce. But then he turned his eyes to him. _

_Kiba froze. He had seen that reproachful look before, the look of a father chastising his son. Kiba couldn't help it. He felt guilty that he had somehow made this wolf look at him this way. He was frightened of his power, but even more of his disapproval. Kiba whined once and dropped to his belly. It was a very submissive pose. The purple wolf smiled and nodded at him, then walked past, raising his tail and head aggressively. Suddenly, the maiden seemed beyond fear. She was angry._

"_What have you done?" she demanded. "...!" she had said his name. Kiba was sure of it. But it hardly mattered to Kiba. He was too confused. _

"_Nothing much." the wolf promised. "But you have come too late. I found Kiba first, and he is mine now."_

"_This one remembers that you hate the wolves." she said angrily. "So this one knows that you must have done something to hurt Kiba!"_

"_I did hate wolves. I do." the wolf snarled, showing her his fangs and bristling. "Only in this accursed life you gave me, I loved nature. I found a white wolf pup, abandoned by his parents. I took him in and raised him as my own son. Then once I remembered and realized who he was, it was far too late for me to kill him." then the wolf laughed. "However, that may prove to be a blessing. I hate wolves. That's true. They cursed me this way. And I cannot hate Kiba. But I can hate all of the others. Kiba and I will open paradise. This time I will enter it, with my Harmona who was reborn as a wolf."_

"_Give Kiba back!" she cried. "Let him go!"_

"_I can't." the wolf replied with a mocking tone. "He is my son now. And what son can't help but love his father? This time I will open Paradise. My mind has cleared now. I am no longer insane. I am quite sane. But I will still see to it that you wolves die. You who so cursed me, you will not reach Paradise."_

_The purple wolf turned to Kiba then, looking down at him. Suddenly, Kiba knew he was small. He was not a grown wolf anymore. He was a pup again. The purple wolf bent down and scooped him up into his jaws. They were familiar to him. Very familiar. He felt himself relax. Like a pup would with his father. He didn't know what else to call it. But he wasn't scared. In the back of his mind, he thought he should be. But it didn't remain lodged in his mind for long. The purple wolf looked back over his shoulder at her, laughing his mocking laugh again and he turned and walked away. _

"_Kiba!" she cried. "Kiba! Listen! This one will save you! This one will find everyone, and we'll come for you! So wait for us! Kiba!"_

_She disappeared behind them suddenly. Now they two wolves were alone on the barren wilderness. Kiba looked up at the purple wolf above him. _

"_Who are you?" he asked. _

"_You know me. I am you father." the purple wolf replied. Kiba gasped. _

"_What are you doing here father?" Kiba asked. _

"_I'm protecting you. The wolves and Paradise bring nothing but trouble. Now hush. Let us venture together again into the darkness."_

* * *

Kiba jumped awake. He was not a pup. He was a young adult male wolf. The dream had unsettled him nonetheless, and he shuddered. What was this all about? Why did he have memories that he couldn't place? And why was he so sad?

The wolf was white, and arctic wolf. He was a beautiful specimen, tall and large, and handsome. His fur was sleek and well cared for. His eyes were bright. He was well fed and yet still lean. Like every member of his species, he was a beautiful creature, full of power. He stood and snarled, surrounded by the memories he couldn't place. Then he turned and walked down the halls to the one place that he knew someone would understand.

The throne room. It was simple, not lavishly decorated at all. The dark stone walls were dreary. And he found it depressing. But he could still go outside into the garden and the surrounding towns. This is where he had grown up, in this keep. It was a wonderful place. And yet his heart felt restless. Was it because of Paradise? The woman he couldn't remember? The memories he couldn't place? He wasn't sure.

There were many people within the walls again today. Many had come to have an audience with his father. He was very popular around here after all. They all moved out of his way as he came forward. They murmured nervously. He knew why. Wolves were murderers, and he was sad to be called one of them. If he could have been born a human, he would have been. But in all of his lives, he had been a wolf. That was just the way things went he supposed. Wolves weren't allowed here. His father killed any that came here. All except two: Kiba and the beautiful she wolf, Sarai. They alone were spared. They alone lived with him, his family. And it was because of this that his father was called the Wolf Lord.

The humans murmured among themselves nervously, parting to let him past. But he walked forward and hardly paid them any attention as he moved towards the throne. They didn't try and hinder him, and the guards ignored him. They recognized him, though they were a little confused to see him here at this time of day. Usually, he would be sleeping or running through the garden, and only then would he return at night after his patrols. It was unusual for him to be here.

A young girl stepped into his path. She was holding onto a teddy bear and she paused when she saw him. The wolf too stopped and looked at her. She smiled at him, showing him that she was missing several teeth. Then she laughed and reached forward. The people all gasped, and the mother froze. But the guards didn't seem inclined to stop this from happening, and they always killed wolves. She patted the wolf's head, who lowered it a bit so that she could pet it. She giggled.

"Doggy!" she cried.

"_If you can't tell the difference between a dog and a wolf,"_ Kiba said. _"then you will have a hard life ahead of you. I won't hurt you, but there are others who will."_

"Good doggy." she giggled. Kiba sighed, but he smiled too.

"_Thus comes from the mouths of babes." _He said. _"If only we could all remain as innocent and peaceful as you. Then perhaps the world would be a better place to live."_

"Oh!" the mother cried, relieved. "Lord Kiba. So good to see you. We never see you except at night, patrolling the city for wolves. I'm sorry if she caused you any trouble. Come here Anabell." The mother scooped up her child.

"_No it's fine." _Kiba replied, looking at the woman. _"She doesn't bother me. I was bored is all. I came here. There's nothing really more than that."_

"You will never change, my son." his father's voice rang from across the room. It was a beautiful, harmonious voice. "You've scared everyone. You know how scared they are of wolves. They can't tell if you're a real wolf or not when you just come walking in. That's why I said you should wear the collar with the mark of our house upon it. That way, they could always tell."

"_I mean no disrespect to our house father." _Kiba replied. _"But not even I will wear a collar. I am not a dog."_

"You even speak like a wolf." his father laughed. "You will never lose the pride of your parents, will you? Come then. Come here Kiba."

The White wolf obeyed, following the well known path towards the center of the throne room. The people now parted before him, bowing their heads a little. He ignored them and held himself tall and proud. He walked forward with a regal bearing, which looking at him, he rightfully deserved. Soon, he reached the foot of the throne.

Beside the throne, on the ground, laid a beautiful she-wolf. She was asleep now, but she often was. She was black, and her fur was glossy and sleek. She was the picture of beauty, and Kiba knew that his father loved her. This was Sarai. Then he looked up to his father. He was a tall and handsome human. Many females of his race fell in love with him on sight. He was just that handsome. He was lean but strong, and he was a wonderful person. One eye was like that of a wolf's. Black with the golden iris. That one he kept covered, because when he revealed it most humans fell into a deep sleep. His other eye looked human, and it was blue. His hear was long and hung down to his shoulders, a deep purple-blue color. He wore the beautiful purple coat of his house, with the white attire of a Noble underneath.

Kiba paused a moment as he looked at him. For a second he was reminded of the purple wolf in his dream. It made him angry, though he didn't know why. But he shook the thought out of his mind. His father was a kind man and he smiled fondly at the wolf.

"_I have come, father." _Kiba said.

"Good then. What did you need?" he asked. "You can't fool me. You need something. So why don't you tell me Kiba?"

"_It's nothing." _Kiba replied. _"It can wait. I will talk to you about it later. Now you should listen to the people here. Isn't that what you told me to do?"_

"Very well." he replied. "I will do that."

Then however, there was suddenly a commotion at the back of the throne room. Kiba turned to look, and even Sarai was woken from her dreams. The guards were trying hard to restrain someone, but the woman was adamant.

"Lord Darcia!" she cried. "Lord Darcia please! You must listen to me!"

"Stop!" one of the guards cried. "You are one of the people of the slums. You are not an aristocrat of the city! You have no business here."

"No." his father, Darcia replied. "Let her speak." the guards restraining her stopped, though they still held onto her. She paused.

"Oh thank you!" she cried.

"Come now. What is this all about?" Darcia asked.

"A wolf!" she cried. All went silent. The people here knew about wolves. They had some living among them. But to other places of the world, wolves were simply myths. Still, wolves never came here. Not after Lord Darcia had taken control. Even so, Darcia and Sarai paused, and Kiba turned to look at her with a quick low growl. She had their attention now.

"Don't be stupid!" one of the guards cried. "There are no wolves here. Lord Kiba checks our cities every night for them. None could get past him. Are you insulting him?"

"Are you sure?" Darcia asked, ignoring the guards. "What did it look like? Where was it?"

"It was just past the statue garden in Herman City." she replied. "I didn't get a good look at her. She was gone too fast. But I saw a young woman change into a wolf! I thought I must have been dreaming at first, until I heard her speak. It was a wolf I saw!"

"This is bad..." Darcia said, his eyes narrowing. "If there's really a wolf..."

"_We must drive her from our territory." _Sarai said in her quiet but beautiful voice. _"If she remains here then she will be a danger to us all."_

"Sir!" one of the guards cried. "What should we do?" But Kiba suddenly surprised him all. They saw his hackles raise, his fur stand on end, his ears lay back. His tail came up in an aggressive position. He snarled, displaying his wickedly curved fangs. Then he turned to his father. As he spoke, the words could be clearly heard, along with his snarls and growls.

"_Father. I will go." _Kiba said. _"I'm the only one who can find her quickly. You've said it yourself. Wolves are dangerous. I won't let her hurt anyone."_ Darcia nodded.

"Do what you must." he replied.

Kiba snarled and then turned and ran. He bolted quickly out of the doorway and down the busy roads. Any people or guards he met along the way jumped out of his way quickly. The people were frightened of him. But the guards knew who he was and called after him. He didn't pause to offer an explanation however. He kept running. All the way into the heart of Herman City, the largest city surrounding the keep.

It was a statue garden. The grass here was green, and beautiful arranged flowers were all around them. Each statue was of Darcia and his house, as well as several of Sarai and Kiba himself. They were beautiful, exact likenesses of the people they were supposed to represent. And yet Kiba glared at them reproachfully. They were only statues. They were human creations. He had been raised with humans. He shouldn't have felt so angry when he saw them. But he was. Whenever he saw them. He grew angry. It was because of the memories that he couldn't place. The ones that were his but not his.

But he didn't have time to linger on those thoughts for long. Darcia had told him time and time again of how wolves were murderers. How they killed people for no reason. He felt like that was wrong some how. But it had been drilled into his head for so long that he ceased to care anymore. He dropped his nose to the ground and began to sniff. He caught her scent in a few moments. It was only about an hour old. She should still be around here somewhere.

He set off at a run, leaping between statues. He wasn't sure where he was going really. He'd never been this far into the slum of this city. That's probably why he hadn't noticed her before now. Still, he ran on until the scent became fresher and fresher. He felt his hackles raise. He was getting closer now. Soon, he would see her.

He leaped out from behind one of the statues, fully expecting to see some ravenous beast. But he suddenly skid to a stop, completely surprised. He was taller than her. She was bent down a little in surprise, though her head was up. He was looking down at her, his body frozen in the awkward pose he had managed to stop in, tensed. She blinked as she looked up at him. Their noses where inches apart. Slowly, she stood, and Kiba let her. Now they were looking each other in the eyes. Kiba paused, carefully watching her. She was watching him.

He had stopped because he had recognized her. He had seen her countless times in his dreams. She was the black wolf with blue eyes. Wolf wasn't quite accurate he supposed. She was part dog. He could see that. No wolf had blue eyes anyway. And her fur wasn't quite as glossy as a wolf's. But she was nonetheless beautiful.

"_Who are you?" _he snarled. _"What are you doing here? Wolves aren't allowed here."_

"_But you're a wolf." _she pointed out.

"_Shut up." _he snarled, showing her his fangs. _"Don't call me that. I don't want to be labeled that way."_

"_Labeled?" _she asked, cocking her head a little. _"What do you mean? That's who you are. You're a wolf."_

"_I am." _he snarled. _"But I was raised to be with humans. My father hates wolves, so I do too. It's as simple as that."_

"_So you hate something," _she said irritably. _"even though you've never had a chance to decide whether or not you should hate it yourself? You're only following the rules of some human? You're even more of a dog than I am, Kiba."_

"_How do you know my name?" _he snarled. She paused, looking at him.

"_Because we were friends long ago." _she said. _"You always reincarnate in this world to look for Paradise. Along with Cheza. I was with your last pack. We failed to make it to Paradise, so the world began again. And here we are again at the end of things. Don't you remember?"_

"_How do you know my dreams?" _Kiba snarled.

"_Dreams?" _she asked. _"What do you mean? It's all real. Don't you remember? I'm Blue. The wolf-dog. And my master is Quent. He's here too, getting drunk as usual."_

"_I..." _he said pausing. _"I don't remember the names and faces of the people in my dreams. But you're in them. It's hard to remember. It hurts my head. Who's Cheza?" _He was surprised to see a look of concern pass over her face. She stepped forward and sniffed his muzzle gently. He paused. Normally, he would have attacked her. But he felt like he could trust her.

"_You really don't remember?" _Blue asked. _"I don't understand. What's going on?"_

"_I don't know..." _Kiba said. He was going to say that he didn't know what she was talking about. But then he realized that he did. He had known for a while. Something wasn't right. His life was wrong. And deep down he knew it. Only seeing her had reminded him.

"_Cheza...the flower maiden." _Blue said. _"She called to me and Quent in our dreams. She said to find you. She said that something was wrong. Now I see that there is."_

Suddenly the door to a nearby bar flew open. A man came storming out quickly. He looked scared, but their was also a hard look in his eyes. They were small, but brown. His skin was a darker shade, and his hair was gray. His face was showing his age, but he still moved really well. He wore black pants and boots and a brown overcoat. On his head was a brown hat. He carried a brown brief case and a a large gun, which was hidden in his coat.

"Blue." he said. "We have to leave. The Noble who rules here... it's Darcia!"

"_Darcia!" _Blue gasped. _"Then it's true...history is repeating itself. There are so many people that have been reborn into this world, animals and humans alike. And it's all because of Darcia..."_

"_Don't you dare speak ill of my father!" _Kiba snarled. Blue and Quent turned to look at the snarling wolf in surprise. Quent finally seemed to recognize him.

"Kiba..." he gasped.

"_Your father?" _Blue gasped. _"Then that means...oh no! Then you're with Darcia!"_

"_So what if I am?" _Kiba snarled. Blue whined and turned to him, her ears laying flat.

"_Don't you remember? You hated him! You fought him!" _She cried. _"You can't simply be his son! That's impossible! He killed all of your friends and Cheza and you! How can you defend him?"_

"_I don't know what you're talking about!" _Kiba snarled. _"I told you I don't remember anything like that!" _Realization seemed to dawn on both the man and the wolf-dog's face.

"Darcia must have done something." Quent growled. Then he looked up at Kiba. "Listen to me Kiba. I used to hate wolves. I changed my mind after one of your friends died trying to protect me. Me of all people, who had murdered so many wolves. It showed me that there were good ones. And you were one of the good ones. Darcia though, he's bad news. He's not a human or a wolf. We don't know really what he is. But if he's back, then there's going to be trouble. He's evil. It's a miracle that you're even still alive."

"_You're lying!" _Kiba snarled.

"_Kiba listen!" _Blue cried. _"You can't trust Darcia! Remember!"_

"_Shut up!" _Kiba snarled. But he was beginning to grow uneasy. He couldn't help but remember his dream.

"_Don't you remember? The purple wolf?" _Blue cried. Kiba froze. Suddenly the image of the wolf from his dream popped into his head. And he couldn't help but shudder both in fear and in anger. That wolf in his dream had been his father. Confusion wracked through his mind. What was a lie and what was the truth? So much in his life had suddenly become jumbled up.

"_Leave me alone!" _Kiba snarled.

Then he turned and ran. He wasn't sure where he was running. He only knew that he had to get away. He ran on, and soon he lost them. He knew these streets better than they did. And he even splashed through the gutters a few times so he knew that Blue couldn't follow his scent. Soon, he stopped as he found himself staring up at the grand entry way of the keep. It was empty of people now, but open for his return.

He felt bad somehow to leave Blue and Quent. They had really seemed worried about him. But he couldn't understand why. Behind him somewhere in the city, he heard Blue howl. The humans couldn't hear it because she was in her human form and calling his name. He snarled. He never howled. Father always told him it was distasteful...yes...father always told him...

He paused as he looked up. He was hidden out of sight, and the two creatures were downwind of him. They couldn't smell him. But he caught the familiar scent of his father and Sarai. The sun was setting now. It was growing dark. But he saw two wolves there. One was black and the other was...purple.

He felt his hair stand on edge. He didn't want to believe it, but the proof was right in front of him. He snarled a little. There was no way. They had been lying. But the two wolves walked over to the small pond in the garden. They looked into it. Then he heard Sarai speak. Her voice wasn't weak sounding anymore. In fact, it was full of life and strong. But it was sad too.

"_Why Darcia?" _She asked. _"Is Paradise truly that important to you? It's cruel how you keep that pup in the dark, even when you know that you were once enemies."_

"_I promised you that I would take you to Paradise." _Darcia responded. _"And I intend to do that. He is the wolf chosen by the flower maiden. Only he can open Paradise. Then this time, I will make it. He is my son. He will not disobey me. When the time is right, then we will leave."_

"_And you altered his memories as well." _Sarai said sadly. _"Isn't it enough to be here with me? Your spell cannot last forever. Soon, he will reawaken, and he'll return to himself."_

"_Hush." _Darcia purred to her. _"All will be well my darling. Soon we'll enter Paradise."_

"_How cruel a place it will be if we make it." _Sarai replied. _"You're blind to everything but your goal and your hatred. Even to me."_

She turned and walked away, back into the keep. Kiba trembled in his confusion as he looked back to the purple wolf and saw his father standing there silently. Then the man walked into the keep, still leaving the door open for him. But Kiba didn't go inside of the keep. He retreated into the forest, too confused to go inside. He wasn't sure what was real and what was not anymore. And for the first time since he was a pup, the forest was calling to him, and he found human company distasteful. The wilderness in Kiba was reawakening.

* * *

**So that's the end of Chapter one.**

I finally know the whole story line to Wolf's Rain, so I deleted my other story of it that was completely wrong and created another one that was much better. This one follows the story line much better, and it's just more dramatic. ^^

Still...WTF? Darcia is Kiba's "Father"? What was I on when I dreamed this up? XD

**Anyway, thanks for reading. Please leave a review and tell me how you think I did. **


	2. Escape from the Keep

**Bored, so I wrote the next chapter of King Wolf.**

I think this chapter will give a lot more meaning to this fan fiction. Not only do we have a problem with Darcia, but this chapter will also have events that will bring in most of the other main characters. I hope you enjoy. And someone please review this time. Reviews inspire me to continue.

**Onto the story. :)**

* * *

Chapter Two: Escape from the Keep

* * *

Kiba sighed. He hadn't returned to the Keep last night. But being in the forest had reawakened his senses again. It was a great feeling. The white wolf looked up. He could hear the guards calling for him. They sounded panicked. People from the cities too. They were worried about him. He snarled a little. Why would they be? He had no idea how much of his life was a lie.

He laid silently in the forest, thinking. Then he froze. Several images had just flashed into his mind. His ears shot up and he looked around. He could feel five minds touching his. Three were wolves. One was a wolf-dog, Blue no doubt. And the last was the flower maiden from his dreams. He normally would have snarled. He didn't like this foreign touch. But he felt like he could trust them.

He saw the purple wolf again in their images. He saw him attack them. Kill them. His father too. But he got a feeling that they were one in the same. They were sad scenes. They made him sad. They were all dying. Like in his dreams. Then he saw himself as he and the purple wolf fought. He saw the flower maiden as she died and the world began again. And water. He could remember the water. He shook his head a little.

They were trying to tell him that Darcia was dangerous. Kiba wasn't really sure how he felt about that. He was still confused. His mind hurt when he thought about it. The five minds retreated. They couldn't feel his mind. They didn't know if he had heard them.

_Cheza is the only one who can enter my mind. _Kiba thought. _They must have used her power._

The white wolf paused. Cheza... he had said Cheza. That's what Blue had said the name of the Flower Maiden was. His head was pounding. But he saw her in his mind. Right now, she was with three wolves. She wore a think white body suit, pink boots, and over her body suit, a pink dress with a hood. Her hair was a purple-pink color. Her eyes were red, with pink irises. She seemed incredibly sad, and she was looking at the ground. Something inside of him clicked slightly. This was Cheza...Cheza...he knew her.

"_Cheza..." _he whispered. In his mind's eye, she froze and looked up. AT HIM.

Memories suddenly came flooding back to him as she looked at him. Memories of all of his past lives. Of his past packs. Of his past failures. Darcia's spell had finally broken. It was a spell that had held him for too long. His mind was at last ripped free from the spell. But it was painful. He couldn't help it. He howled.

"_Kiba!" _he heard Cheza cry in his mind. They were close enough to vaguely hear his howl, and the distress in it. They were coming.

Kiba snarled, arching his back and shaking his head. It was painful. But he was glad at last to be free. A twig snapped. The white wolf bristled as he looked up. Across the clearing he saw the purple wolf. Darcia had heard him too. The purple wolf paused, looking at him carefully. Kiba never howled.

"_How long were you planning on keeping me here, Darcia?"_ Kiba snarled. There was contempt in his voice. The Purple wolf paused and then smiled. It was a smile that was all to familiar.

"_So, you have awakened after all Kiba."_ Darcia replied. _"A pity. It would have been so much easier if you had remained ignorant. No matter. You will still take me to Paradise."_

"_I trusted you."_ Kiba snarled, showing his fangs. _"Loved you like a father! But it was all lies! You don't care about me. To you, I'm nothing more than a murderer."_

"_Of course you are." _Darcia replied, his eyes narrowing. _"But I raised you. I have changed you. You can't deny that. I love you. Obviously. Or else my fangs would have found you while you were still a helpless pup. My son, I need you help to find Paradise."_

"_You are a murderer too."_ Kiba snarled. _"But unlike you, I only kill out of need. You are not my father. You killed my pack. And for that I must avenge them. I will not lead you to Paradise, you who cursed it."_

"_As it cursed me."_ Darcia snarled in reply, beginning to bristle and snarl just as Kiba was doing the same. The animals watching nearby in the forest shuddered. They had never seen two wolves fight in their short life times. Not here. But they had heard the stories passed down by older animals. _"You will lead me to Paradise, even if I must drag you there. I can't remember the path. Just as you can't. But Cheza will not abandon you."_

"_She was right."_ Kiba snarled, hoping to provoke him so that he could fight. _"Sarai...no Harmona. You are blind. Blind to everything but your hatred and your obsession. They are the only things you love."_

"_I'll rip your tongue out you yapping pup!"_ Darcia cried in rage. That was the last straw. He leaped forward with bared fangs. Kiba crouched with a snarl, preparing for him.

He could see the insane gleam once again in Darcia's eyes, though it wasn't as strong as before. Kiba shuddered. But he wasn't afraid. He was angry. Darcia had killed his friends and caused his mission to fail. And he had messed with his memories. Those were unforgivable offenses. Not because he cared for himself. But because he was a wolf. And like all wolves, he cared for his pack more than himself. He leaped out of the way of the larger wolf. His instincts and past memories told him how to attack, though he had never fought another wolf in this life. For a moment, there was silence as the two wolves seized each other up. Then they snarled and leaped forward again.

The air was rent suddenly with the sound of snarls and wolves fighting. Darcia was larger than Kiba. But they seemed evenly matched in strength and speed. The two wolves attacked each other without much vigor, but with a need to take the other down nonetheless. They were still attached to each other. Kiba knew that. But he couldn't quite shake the thought out of his head. They had lived toghether. They weren't sure at first whether they wanted to hurt each other, though any on looker wouldn't be able to tell that. But then memories of his friend's deaths in the life before this one came flooding back to him. Kiba was filled with wrath. He turned, and his fangs found Darcia's flank and dug into it viciously.

Darcia yelped, and then raged burned in his eyes. He snarled and turned. There was no restraint in the wolves' attacks now. He needed Kiba yes, but if Kiba was willing to wound him to escape, then he would be willing to wound him to keep him here. And with the advanced technology of the humans, he could heal the wolf with no problem. His fangs sank deeply into Kiba's right shoulder, giving off the sound of a wet squelch. Kiba yelped, and then the two wolves pulled apart for a moment. They snarled a moment, watching each other. Kiba tried his best to keep the weight off of his injured leg. Darcia smiled a little when he saw it. But then he snarled again. He had fought Kiba before. A little wound like that wouldn't keep him down.

They leaped forward again to attack. The two wolves connected with more ferocity than before. Finally, the animals could take no more. This fight was normally a natural thing. They had a natural fear of wolves, and especially wolves fighting. They were ferocious things. But this was not a natural battle. The purple wolf was evil. They could feel it in their bones. They exploded from the undergrowth and ran to escape the feral growls of the wolves. The two wolves ignored them, exchanging heavy blows.

Kiba yelped as Darcia's jaws tightened on his hurt leg. Kiba attacked Darcia's throat but missed, biting his shoulder instead at an odd angle. Darcia had severely injured his leg now. Darcia on the other hand was not that injured. Darcia snarled and attacked Kiba again. His fangs sank deeply into Kiba's chest. Kiba snarled and ripped a hole open on Darcia's back. Darcia snarled and rammed the white wolf, fully intended to pin him on the ground. Kiba managed to wiggle away, but it left him open for Darcia's next attack. He snarled as he felt Darcia's jaws snap closed tightly on the back of his neck beneath his skull. Darcia shook him violently. Kiba gasped. It hurt, and made spots swim before his eyes. He snarled and tried to slip away. But Darcia put his weight into the hurt leg dragging Kiba down to the ground. He was NOT going to let go. Not anytime soon.

Kiba gasped again. Darcia shook him harder. He wasn't shaking him hard enough to kill him, but he knew that it was hard enough to cause some damage. Kiba snarled and tried to bite at Darcia's leg. But his bite strength was now reduced and it hardly seemed to effect Darcia at all. The purple wolf shook him again. Kiba yelped in pain. Spots swam before his eyes, and he felt himself beginning to black out. Kiba knew on instinct that he was hurt pretty badly. He fell down to one back leg, then the other, though he was still fighting to stand. How long would that last?

"_Kiba!" _he heard someone cry.

A dark furry shahpe hit Darcia hard in the side. It knocked the wind off of him and knocked him off of Kiba. Finally free, Kiba gasped and coughed, still laying down. He slowly stood on shaking legs. His eye sight was off now. Everything was strange. There was something wrong alright. Darcia's bite had done something to him. Kiba raised his injured leg completely up off of the ground, holding it close to his chest. The blood was strikingly visible against his white coat. The purple wolf was shaking his head to clear his confused thoughts. A tongue started to pass over his face. He looked up. Blue was licking him.

"_B-Blue...?" _He asked, confused.

"_It's OK." _she promised. _"You're going to be alright now. I heard you howl. It's OK. I won't let him hurt you again."_

"_I'm alright Blue." _Kiba lied. He wasn't alright. He felt weak suddenly. _"I'll be fine. But we can't stay here. We'll have to leave soon." _Blue paused.

"_Have you remembered now?" _she asked.

"_Fortunately yes." _Kiba replied, looking back at Darcia. _"And Darcia didn't like that at all."_

The Purple wolf snarled and turned to look at the other two wolves. Blue bristled and stepped forward in front of Kiba. Her tail raised aggressively and her ears laid back as she showed Darcia her fangs. She was angry with him. She remembered dying at his jaws, but she hated him for hurting the members of her pack. That was the way of wolves. They looked out for their pack. And now she hated him especially for trying to steal Kiba from them and for hurting him. Kiba snarled as well, bristling. But his mind felt fuzzy now.

"_Leave now Wolf-dog." _Darcia snarled. _"My fight is with Kiba alone. You're interfering."_

"_You've hurt him." _Blue snarled in reply. _"He belongs to pack, so I'm protecting him. So leave us alone."_

"_Foolish wolf." _Darcia growled, his patience wearing thin. _"I will make it to Paradise this time. And his is going to take me there. Leave now and I might let you live."_

"_Never." _Blue spat. _"I'll destroy you. It's your fault that history is repeating itself!"_

Darcia snarled and crouched to spring. But at about that time, Kiba realized that the others had appeared. The warm scent of flowers washed over him, and even though things were still fuzzy in his mind, he felt himself relax a little. Cheza's hand passed over his head gently. She went down on her knees and hugged the white wolf.

"This one is here Kiba." she whispered to him.

Three more wolves appeared, all snarling angrilly at Darcia. They were all of the same mind as Blue. They were angry that he had tried to hurt Kiba in anyway. They were also angry that he had injured Kiba, but at him in general for what he had done. Even Darcia paused a moment when as he looked at the three snarling wolves. They all stepped between between Kiba and Darcia. Cheza gently touched Kiba's injured shoulder, pouring her power into the wound. It began to heal a little. They both knew that it wouldn't be enough. But she was trying anyway.

Tsume looked the same. He was a large wolf, the largest in their pack, though Darcia was still larger than him. His fur was gray, and across his chest was a "X" shaped scar. Hige looked the same too: a brown wolf that obviously ate well, only he didn't have a collar on. Toboe looked much the same as well. He was still a young wolf, still a pup really. He was brown. On his right forepaw, he had silver bracelets. They weren't the same as the ones he had worn in his previous life. But they were very similar.

Darcia snarled, looking at all of them. Before, he had fought all of them. But now he was injured, and he had lost the strength of his insanity. Besides the fact that he had angered them. He turned and fled, quickly retreating. But he would not give up, and they knew that well. The wolves snarled after him. Then when they were sure that he wasn't coming back for the time being, they turned back to Kiba. He shook his head. But his thoughts were still fuzzy. He felt dizzy, and weak in the legs.

"_Are you OK?"_ Tsume asked, noticing this. Kiba was silent for a while.

"_I'll heal."_ he replied. Cheza coaxed him to lay down. But he ignored her.

"This one knows you're not." she said.

"_Don't scare us like that."_ Hige told Kiba. _"Cheza told us that you were in trouble with Darcia. We're glad you're not under his control anymore."_

"_Darcia used some sort of spell to alter your memories, right?" _Blue asked. Kiba nodded after a short pause, and the others bristled in surprise. Toboe whined and nudged Kiba's side gently.

"_We have to go." _He said. He was the gentlest of all of the wolves. He didn't like fighting. But he would if it was to protect the people he cared for. He nudged Kiba again, and this time the white wolf looked at him. _"If we stay here they he'll come back. Let's go." _Kiba nodded.

"_Damn Darcia..." _Hige snarled. _"He did something to you again. Why aren't you responding quickly?" _Kiba didn't respond to that question at all. He didn't want to over worry them.

The white wolf shook his head again, and Toboe nudged him gently, whining at him. Kiba took a few steps forward, limping heavily. The others watching him carefully, but when he faltered, Tsume growled.

"_I don't like it here."_ he said. _"We need to leave."_

"_Kiba can't walk that fast though." _Blue protested. Tsume glanced at Kiba, and he had to admit that she was right. But they couldn't wait for him to keep up either.

"_We need to run!" _Tsume snarled.

Then he surprised everyone. The gray wolf ran over to the white wolf. Before Kiba could protest, he slipped under his chest and stood to his full height. All four of Kiba's feet left the ground, and he was centered squarely on Tsume's back. He shuddered and snarled a little. It hurt Kiba's pride a little to be carried. But Tsume snapped his jaws at him impatiently to tell him that he was having none of that. Darcia had injured him heavily. Besides, the gray wolf was large. Very large. He had no trouble carrying him. Cheza stood too.

"_Hurry."_ Tsume snarled. _"Let's go."_

The four wolves launched off, running as quickly as they could. Cheza, even though she appeared human, could easily keep pace with the wolves. They were fast, covering ground quickly. Kiba snarled a little as he grew dizzy again. But he had to admit that they were moving much faster now. A few images appeared in his mind. Tsume had carried him when he was hurt once before. Back then, he recovered enough to stand on his own to feet. But now he was hurt worse than before. Kiba was sure that Darcia had wanted that. He had counted on him not being able to move fast. Then he could catch up to him. But he must have forgotten how protective a pack was of all of their members. He might have forgotten how strong Tsume was too. He could carry the young adult wolf with little effort.

They shot off into Herman city. They had to. They had to find Quent. But as they came into the city, the people saw the wolves and panicked. They dashed to get out of the way, grabbing children and possessions. Wolves were murderers. That was what they had been told. That's what they saw. Kiba snarled a little. He loved these people. He had lived with them. He hated to scare them, even if he knew it was necessary. And his wounds were painful.

It didn't take long for the wolves to realize that he was worse off than they had thought. He was losing a lot of blood now. He seemed to be responding to things less and less. They bristled a little but kept on running. They knew that they had to escape if anything was going to be done about it.

As some of the people were running, they paused. The wolves were beasts, snarling as they ran. But many of the people saw Kiba. It took them a few moments to recognize him. But once they did they gasped. They trusted and loved him. He was one of their lords. And they saw that he was in danger. He was hurt.

The four wolves and Cheza suddenly ground to a halt, snarling their anger and their warning. Cheza paused. Usually, she was a gentle soul. But now rage was in her eyes. Kiba paused when he saw it. He was usually the one to look that way. He had always protected her. But now she was protecting him. He sighed a little as he let his head fall back down onto Tsume's shoulder. The gray wolf glanced at him. He seemed alright for now, but how long would that last? He bristled and snarled louder, revealing the pink gums. The other wolves did the same as they looked up at the guards of Darcia.

They were all dressed in strange armor, all carrying large guns. They weren't really that prepared for fighting a pack of wolves. They paused a little when they saw the ferocity of the wolves. But they they steeled themselves angrily. One pointed at Tsume, making all the wolves crouch and snarl.

"Wolves!" he cried. "How dare you! How dare you come here and attack Lord Darcia! But that wasn't enough for you! You also attacked Kiba and tried to take him from us? We won't let you leave here alive!"

"_Foolish humans!"_ Blue snarled _"You don't understand. You're too narrow minded to see why we need Kiba!"_

"We are the grand guard of the House of Darcia!" the guard cried, showing them the crest of the House of Darcia on their chests: a purple wolf running on a red field. "We will destroy you for disrecting the ancient laws of our house! You will not get past us!"

"_We don't want to kill you..."_ Toboe said, looking down. But then he looked back up and snarled, anger in his eyes for what Darcia had done. _"But if you don't move we will." _the other wolves snarled their agreement.

"Typical of a wolf." the guard replied, reaching for a gun. "Those who weren't raised correctly by humans become nothing more than cold blooded murderers. They murder for no reason." then everyone paused as Cheza stepped forward. She glared a the guard, stepping fearlessly among the wolves.

"This one knows Darcia's evil." she said. "This one knows that he is evil and all that he has done. And this one must protect Kiba. So this one is warning you to move."

"Girl..." the guard snarled. "You betrayer of your people. How could you walk among murderous wolves?" Cheza ignored him, running her hand over Kiba's hand gently. He couldn't help but relax a little more. Her eyes softened.

"This one knows how this must be." she said. She continued to stroke Kiba until he relaxed and closed his eyes. "It is always the same. The world has ended and been reborn countless times. Always, this one has led wolves to Paradise. But none could make it. They didn't have what it took. And it made this one sad. But then this one met Kiba, many life times ago. We had just both been reborn into this world. And he was different. So this one chose him. We have formed packs and traveled to Paradise ever since. This one and Kiba have been reborn again several times, and so have our friends this time. Now we might make it. So this one must protect Kiba now."

"Rebirth? The end of the world?" the man snorted. "That sounds like a load of crap to me. I won't let you pass, even if you're insane." Cheza reached forward, again ignoring the guard, and stroked Tsume's head.

The gray wolf paused and looked at her. She was giving him strength. She was urging him to run. Kiba felt a similar power. Only she was relaxing him. She was urging him to remain still and trust them. She didn't want them to get anymore hurt. He did trust them. All of them. He felt his muscles completely relax. His eyes closed. His head laid against Tsume's shoulder. He went completely limp. He just couldn't help it. He appeared to be unconscious. That's how still he was. It surprised even Tsume. But Cheza was still pouring her strength into him. Kiba suddenly felt as if he wasn't heavy at all.

"Go Tsume." Cheza told him. "We will cover you. Go find Quent and we'll catch up. This one will sing her song."

Tsume watched her face for a moment. But she was begging him to protect Kiba. At last he nodded. He was the only one who was strong enough to carry Kiba for that long anyway. They had come to save Kiba from Darcia. And that was what they were going to do. He crouched to spring, and Cheza began to sing. Everyone paused when they heard it.

_Shailoh, Shailoh... yatreet ka..._

_Shailoh shna...otvit ka..._

_hahla halah... ahlah hah..._

_Shailoh washnee_

_fortee neh..._

_Shailoh, Shailoh... yatreet ka..._

_omen nio hah..._

_shailoh, shailoh... yatreet ka..._

_omen nio hah..._

_shailoh shailoh... yatreet ka..._

_shailoh shna... otvit ka..._

_hahla hahla... ahlah hah..._

_shailoh washnee_

_fortee neh..._

Suddenly, Hige, Toboe and Blue all snarled. Even gentle Toboe couldn't help but feel her wrath and want nothing more than to act upon it. They were filled with a primordial need to attack. They all leaped forward and the soldiers. They weren't even phased by the gunshots that went off. They dodged the bullets and leaped up, ripping open their throats and leaping off to kill the next one. Cheza began her song again, urging them to keep fighting. And she herself launched forward and attacked as well, kicking at the guards. She could do some damage. Kiba was surprised. He had never seen her so ferocious before. But her song made him relax again. The Tsume leaped off, dashing out of an opening in the ranks of the guards.

He broke free from the mass and ran on as fast as he could. Cheza's song was still sounding in his head. It made him run faster, dodge guards more surely, leap higher. He only knew that he had to escape. He dodged into the slums of the town. There was no one here. The people had fled from the terror of the wolves. He had lost the soldiers for now. Panting heavily, the gray wolf paused to rest.

"_Let me down Tsume." _Kiba said. _"I can walk."_

"_Like hell you can." _Tsume growled in his usual "shut the hell up" voice. _"Don't deny it. I don't care how hurt pride is. We came here to help you. So that's what we'll do. So just lie still. We all remember Darcia, and all of the harm he caused us. So we had to come help you. And you're too hurt to walk by yourself. I'm fine. You're not that heavy." _But Tsume still had to shift him on his back a little. Kiba paused, raising his head a little.

"_Cheza's stopped singing..." _he said.

"_I'm sure they're fine." _Tsume said, reading his mind. _"Where's Quent? We have to find him fast and get out of here. You're too injured to go far."_

"_Where do you think he is?" _Kiba sighed. _"He's getting drunk. Up the road here, there's a bar. Small, fairly dirty. The owner probably hasn't left yet. He's probably there."_

The gray wolf padded forward, still managing to hold himself with a proud bearing even with the injured wolf on his back. He stopped in front of the door that Kiba had indicated. Tsume paused, hearing the argument vaguely from within. The bar tender was a greedy man. He was trying at this time to steal Quent's gun. He might have gotten away with it too. Except that he didn't expect himself to open the door and find himself face to face with a snarling wolf. Unable to shoot the gun and unwilling to try and figure it out, he dropped it and ran away screaming. Tsume huffed a little. This was hardly worth his time. Quent came out quickly and picked up his gun, examining it. He glanced at the wolf with a hard glance and then sighed.

"Thanks for that." Quent said. "He was trying to steal my gun."

"_I'll never understand humans' need to have things." _Tsume said. _"But we have bigger things to worry about now. We have to leave. Darcia wants to use Kiba to get to Paradise. He managed to escape, but he's hurt." _Tsume turned to look at the injured white wolf where he had laid him to help the human. Quent quickly went to Kiba's side, laying a hand on his back. Kiba looked up at him.

"_I managed to break free from his spell." _Kiba explained lamely. Then his head laid back down.

"_We need to leave town." _Tsume told Quent. _"But Darcia has sent out his soldiers to get Kiba back."_

"We'll need a car." Quent said calmly. "He can't walk at all. And even if he could, he wouldn't make it far. He's in bad shape. I have no idea what happened, but we'll need to help him out. We're going to have to find someone who has some clue about how to heal wolves and won't freak out when they see him. They'll have to help us get him back on his feet quickly. Besides the fact that we'll need to hide."

"_Do you know someone like that?" _Tsume asked, a little frustrated.

"I do." Quent replied, storing his gun again out of sight. "We'll have to go to Sygn City. It was once known as Freeze City. And if I remember right, that's where all of our paths crossed for the first time. And what about the others?"

"_They'll catch up." _Tsume replied.

Quent picked Kiba up, making the wolf snarl in surprise. But Quent ignored him and swung the wolf up onto his shoulders. Kiba was surprised by how strong the older man was, but didn't think about it long. His head swam again. He was too dizzy. Normally, he would have struggled., even being raised to where he would accept the touch of humans. It hurt his pride to be carried like some prized catch. But now he was too hurt and tired to complain. He remained still, and he went limp again. Quent noticed and patted Kiba's side, holding his legs so he wouldn't fall off.

"Easy." Quent said. Then he looked at Tsume. "Let's go. We're going to have to steal a car. I don't like the idea, but we have little choice now. And if we run into anyone, you'll be far more convincing with these people than I would."

Tsume and Quent then turned and walked as quickly as they could down the street. Everyone had turned and ran away, leaving many things behind. Including several cars. Most weren't even out of the drive ways where they had been parked. But some were out on the street and the doors were thrown open. It turned out that they didn't need to convince anyone of anything. So they selected a car, a large gray one with a large back. Quent opened the back and laid Kiba in, letting Tsume in too. He laid the two back rows of seats down too, making more space for the wolf pack. He only needed the front too seats anyway. He closed the back and got in the front, glad for the tinted windows on the car. Then he slipped in, buckled up, and turned the car on, shutting the door.

Now he turned and maneuvered the gray behemoth through the empty streets. He was looking for the others. He knew it wouldn't be long before guards realized what was happening. But maybe they could escape and get enough of a head start that they couldn't catch up for a while. And with a snow storm blowing nearly constantly year round outside, that would make it that much harder to track them for a while.

"There's probably enough fuel to get us to Sygn City." Quent said. "And then after that, we'll see what we have to do."

"_Just get us out of here." _Tsume growled as he laid down near Kiba. He didn't like this bumpy ride in the car. The white wolf whined a little in pain.

Quent drove on in silence after that, watching carefully for the sight of the others. When he saw them, he quickly applied the brakes. Tsume opened the back door with this jaws. They all leaped inside and Cheza pulled the door shut. Then Quent pressed the gas pedal down as far as it would go. They gray car barreled its way towards the front gate, where everyone else was going. People and guards leaped out of the way. But before the guards had even realized what was happening, the group was out of sight in the frozen wilderness. No one spoke until even the wolves were sure that the town and their pursuers were gone. At least for a while.

Hige laid down and Blue laid down next to him, laying her head on top of Hige's when he laid it down. They had been separated for a long time. But they were glad to finally be together, and they were willing to make the most of what time they had together. Now that there was no significant threat to their pack, Tsume laid back down. And the exhausted and perhaps slightly traumatized Toboe laid down too with a whine. He didn't like killing people. But he would. Cheza made her way over to Kiba. Then she pulled the white wolf's head into her lap. He whined a little. He was too exhausted to do much else. Cheza frowned sadly and stroked his head. He relaxed slightly.

"Kiba..." she said. The white wolf didn't really respond now. He didn't have the strength left. He was too tired. She frowned deeper and stroked his head gently. The other wolves looked at him.

"_He's hurt worse than we thought..."_ Tsume growled. _"It'll get serious if we don't get him some help soon."_

"He'll have to hold on for a while yet." Quent said. "But he's strong. He'll make it. If only just."

"_All of our problems seem to stem from Darcia." _Hige growled quietly. Toboe looked like he might burst into tears even though he was in his wolf form and didn't have the ability.

"_Just hang on Kiba..." _He begged. _"Don't give up." _He licked the white wolf's face gently.

_They're all so fond of me. _Kiba thought.

_Of course. _Cheza replied in his mind as she continued to stroke his soft, dense fur. _You're a part of our pack. We're a family._ Then she paused. _But do you remember what this one said in your dream?_

_We need humans to open Paradise. _Kiba replied, glad that his mind's voice was reacting much faster than his body was.

_And other animals. _Cheza said. _Not just wolves. _

_Did Darcia pollute Paradise that badly? _Kiba asked, surprised.

_Yes. _Cheza replied. _This one thinks that we'll need five humans, and then a few other animals. You will choose them Kiba when the time comes. _

_Why?_

_Has this one ever led you astray Kiba?_

_No. _Kiba sighed in his mind. _It just seems like too much has changed this time. _

_Change is good. _Cheza replied a little cheerfully. _It means that something different will happen. We'll make it to Paradise this time. This one knows it. _

_Not if Darcia has anything to say about it. _Kiba thought. Cheza bristled a little.

_This one will kill Darcia herself if this one must. _She promised. _This one will not forgive him for hurting Kiba. _

_Yes. _Kiba said in his mind tiredly. _A lot has changed. But perhaps it will prove to be a blessing._ Cheza stroked his muzzle softly.

"Rest Kiba." Cheza whispered to him. "You're safe with this one."

Kiba sighed and fell into and exhausted sleep, dreaming of Paradise and defeating the looming purple shadow that stood in his way. His wounds still hurt, but he needed rest. So he would sleep, and wait for tomorrow.

* * *

**So that was the end of Chapter two.**

A lot happened in this chapter. But I feel like I didn't do too bad on it. It sets the story for the rest of the chapters. So should be fun right?

**Thanks for reading, and leave a review below please!**


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